Sad day recalled by Rafa Benitez

RAFA BENITEZ has spoken of the emotional ordeal he went through at the Club World Cup with Liverpool.

PUBLISHED: PUBLISHED: 07:11, Wed, Dec 12, 2012

Chelsea interim boss Rafa Benitez

Chelsea boss Benitez missed his father Francisco’s funeral seven years ago as it was on the day the Reds lost to Sao Paulo in the final.

“My father was very ill,” said Benitez. “I was here [in Japan] and couldn’t go back in time.

“In Spain the tradition is the funeral is held the day after you die. In England it can be a week. I went to see my family and it was fine. We had all the news, the information from home. It was something you have to adapt to.

It was just a question of when it happened. But it was a bad time for me

Chelsea interim boss Rafa Benitez

“Bad memories, obviously, it was a bad time for me, but we knew my father was ill. It was just a question of when it happened. But it was a bad time for me.”

Chelsea midfielder Oriol Romeu is set to be out for six months after knee reconstruction surgery on Monday.

The Spaniard suffered the injury in the first half of Saturday’s win at Sunderland and came back to London instead of flying to Japan for the Club World Cup.

Chelsea now look set to step up their interest in Paulinho, of Corinthians, who could face the Blues in the final on Sunday.

Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini is also a fan of Paulinho, 24, who only signed a new contract last month, most likely forcing his fee up to over £20million.